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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28420458">Lashing Out</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/botanicalTJ/pseuds/botanicalTJ'>botanicalTJ</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Comfort in Chaos [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anger, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Merthur - Freeform, Period-Typical Homophobia, Uther Pendragon's A+ Parenting (Merlin), its very vague tho</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:40:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>364</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28420458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/botanicalTJ/pseuds/botanicalTJ</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Uther always knows what buttons to press; Merlin always knows how to repair the damage.</p><p>(Repost, originally part of Comfortember 2020)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Comfort in Chaos [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081529</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Comfortember 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lashing Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>cw// slight allusions to period-typical homophobia</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“He talks to me like I’m a child.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“I mean, it’s my <em>entire </em>future we’re talking about, not just the kingdom.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“I’m more than just a prince.” Arthur whirled around, facing Merlin with a fiery, misplaced rage in his eyes. His fists were balled at his sides, shaking from the effort of not swinging them at the closest target. He didn’t step close enough to Merlin, who was perched on the end of Arthur’s bed, to act on any sort of impulse. But venom dripped from his words like it had been his servant to cause him such distress. “Do you think he knows that?” </p><p>“Do <em>you </em>know that?” Merlin countered, sliding to his feet. His sheer audacity made Arthur freeze, a startled look on his face. He didn’t move a muscle as his fists were grasped in hands smaller and softer than his own, uncurling his fingers until they could be properly grasped. “Your father,” he began, and Arthur couldn’t help meeting his eyes. “has been ruling over you every day of your life. And this is the first time you’ve disobeyed him.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t be the first,” Arthur scoffed, looking away. But the poison in his voice was gone, tempered by Merlin’s hands within his. He squeezed them. “Won’t be the last, either.”</p><p>“Look, I know that you… want to make him proud.” Merlin leaned forward, so his head could come to rest upon the other’s shoulder. The closeness brought Arthur’s arms up around him, tucking the smaller of the two within the safety of born strength. “But you’re going to be the king someday, and then everyone will have to answer to you. Not him.”</p><p>Arthur was silent for several moments, looking past Merlin at a blank spot on the wall. And then he sighed. “If I can’t have you publicly,” he murmured, breaking his trance to kiss the boy’s head. “I can’t imagine taking a queen instead.”</p><p>“Then don’t,” Merlin whispered into his chest, arms draping around Arthur’s waist. “No one can force you.”</p><p>“No…” Arthur cracked a smile then, a sigh leaving his lips as he tightened his embrace around his beloved. “I won’t let them.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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